Carpet cleaning machine

Abstract

A muffler for a steam cleaning apparatus comprising a housing having a first and a second inlet, and an outlet, a plurality of baffles disposed within, and coupled to the housing, wherein the plurality of baffles are covered with a foam; wherein the first inlet is pneumatically coupled to an air pump of the steam cleaning apparatus, and wherein the first inlet provides to the housing a stream of humid air from an application subsystem of the steam cleaning apparatus; and wherein the second inlet receives combustion exhaust from a combustion motor that drives an air pump that is operationally coupled to the application subsystem, and wherein the outlet releases air comprising combustion exhaust of the motor.

Description

I. FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe inventive subject matter herein relates generally to machine cleaning which can be adapted to carpets, drapery, blinds, upholstery and the like.II. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONCarpets, draperies, blinds, upholstery and the like are often cleaned using steam / hot water systems. Since these units usually operate on similar principles, but at different pressures and with different solvents, they are all generically and interchangeably referred to herein as carpet cleaners, carpet cleaning machines, systems, equipment, units and so on. In general, steam / hot water systems include the same basic components, namely a wand for dispensing and recovering a cleaning fluid, an optional reservoir for holding reserve fluid, a fluid pump for providing pressurized cleaning fluid at the wand, an air pump (sometimes referred to as a vacuum pump) for sucking up spent fluid, and a spent fluid holding tank. Carpet cleaning equipment contemplated herein ranges from relatively s...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

Methods and apparatus are provided in which a microprocessor controls various components of a carpet cleaning machine to improve its functionality.

In various aspects of the invention, the microprocessor is software controlled, and can provide sequential operating instructions to the operator, enforce start-up and shut down sequences, store an electronic record of operating parameters for future use, provide auto- and remote diagnostics, and provide remote control. In another aspect of the invention the microprocessor can affect the operation of the entire system by dynamically controlling the speed of the motor. In another aspect of the invention, a more effective muffler can be attached to the exhaust of the motor, thereby greatly reducing the noise level. In still other aspects of the invention, the microprocessor can operate an ignition kill switch to the motor, solenoid and / or clutch controls for the fluid and air pumps, an energy cutoff switch for the heater, and software updates via modem.

Problems solved by technology

First, an operator may keep his equipment in a poor state of maintenance.

For example, the holding tanks may not be emptied regularly, or the equipment may not be serviced regularly.

Second, operators tend to push their equipment to the limit, for example by setting the thermostat on the heater at an unsafe level.

Third, operators do not necessarily know how to operate the equipment properly.

This problem can be addressed to some extent with operator manuals, but such manuals are of little use where the manuals are not available at an operating site, or an operator is unwilling to wade through a manual to find the relevant section.

Fourth, operators do not necessarily keep accurate records of operating conditions, so that when an equipment failure occurs it is often almost impossible to pinpoint the cause as being something which is or is not covered by warranty.

Fifth, when equipment failures do occur, the equipment may be at a great distance from a suitable repair facility, and individual operators may not have the skills to effectively diagnose the failure.

Even where carpet cleaning equipment is maintained in top shape and is operated properly, a particular machine may not have the capacity required for a particular job.

Commonly the heater is inadequate to provide sufficiently hot solvent, or the vacuum pump does not draw a sufficient volume of air to adequately remove spent solvent.

Of course, it is not difficult to design ever larger carpet cleaning machines having larger heater and air pumps, but this generally makes the equipment ever larger and noisier.

Many truck mounted units are already so loud that their use in residential and even commercial districts is unacceptable.

Thus, there exists a need to improve the operation of carpet cleaning equipment in a manner which can resolve the above mentioned problems, and there is nothing in the art which teaches or suggests how that can be accomplished.

Other patents such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,075,921 are directed to a particular component of a carpet cleaning system, but do not address the problems set forth above.

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